


On Blake

by flowersforgraves



Series: hc_bingo round 8 [18]
Category: Blake's 7
Genre: Community: hc_bingo, Gen, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-28 23:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13282170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersforgraves/pseuds/flowersforgraves
Summary: In which a hero is defined.prompt: tyranny/rebellion





	On Blake

Roj Blake was a hero.

Well, that wasn’t strictly true, because generally heroes didn’t get arrested, brainwashed, and forced to tell the public that their actions were misguided at best and treasonous at worst. But when you get right down to it, Roj Blake was a hero.

He was the kind of charismatic that made you believe what he was saying simply because _he_ so fervently believed. He was the kind of gentle that brought to mind a big cat, usually restrained, but when motivated he could tear out your throat. He was the kind of curious that was so genuine you thought it was fake.

He was an idealist, through and through. Reminded me of a pioneer, an explorer of old who just wanted to find a better place for humanity. I think that was probably why Avon hated him so much, because he genuinely believed he could do better.

I don’t think any of us, except maybe Blake, originally set out to overthrow the government. Sure, none of us particularly _liked_ the Federation, but their laws suited us fine. Me especially. The only reason I was on that transport was because I made a mistake. Granted it was a big mistake, a mistake that cost someone their life, but it was a mistake nonetheless. My limiter implant fixed that, I suppose. So I don’t really see why I was on that transport to Cygnus Alpha. I wasn’t a pickpocket like Vila, or a smuggler like Jenna, or a hacker like Avon. They were professional criminals. I was just a regular citizen.

Regardless, for our own reasons, we went along with Blake’s plans. I needed someone, or several someones, to help me since my limiter meant I couldn’t kill, even to protect myself. Vila needed friends, I think. Jenna liked Blake, and she might have started to believe in the cause eventually. Avon? Who knows. Maybe he just didn’t want to feel indebted to Blake for getting us all off that transport.

I might be a little hypocritical when I say things about Blake’s idealism. I mean, I was an upstanding citizen all my life, right up until that guard murdered my girlfriend. I did genuinely believe in the professed ideals of the Federation. But the Federation reality was hard to reconcile with the Federation ideals, once I started to see the corruption behind Federation doors. So Blake’s cause became mine.

Blake was inconsistent only in that he sometimes wanted to go out with a blaze of glory, and sometimes wanted to live to fight another day. I’m sure there was a pattern somewhere in there, something to do with psychological stressors. But I’m not that kind of person, I don’t really care what makes people tick beyond the basics. Avon might be a better person to talk to about that.

So yes, what I originally said still stands. Roj Blake is a hero. Not my hero, I knew him too well for that. But no one is perfect, including heroes.


End file.
